Even if you think you’re not a Campari fan, I’d encourage you to give this libation a try. It took me a while to grow to like Campari and I’m glad that I did as it opened up a wide variety of new cocktail options.

A traditional Negroni is simple – equal parts gin, campari and sweet vermouth (also known as Italian or rosso vermouth) served on the rocks. There’s some question as to the origin of the Negroni. The most widely accepted version is that it was first made in Florence, Italy in 1919 for Count Camillo Negroni. He wanted something stronger than an Americano (equal parts Campari, sweet vermouth and soda water) so the bartender used gin in place of soda water. It became so popular that the Count’s family began bottling and selling pre-made Negronis shortly thereafter.

I’ve grown to like a Negroni and was already a fan of sours, so couldn’t resist trying this combination. Here the base of the drink is gin, Campari and amaro. Amaro is an Italian herbal liqueur that is more complex than sweet vermouth. I used Amaro Montenegro which is a blend of 40 different botanicals. You can certainly substitute sweet vermouth in place of Amaro if you don’t have it in your liquor cabinet. Go with a traditional dry London gin – anything fancier will get lost with the flavors from the Campari and amaro.

The remaining ingredients are typical of many ‘sour’ drinks – citrus, simple syrup plus an egg white. This drink uses a technique called a ‘dry shake.’ It’s like a traditional shake in a cocktail shaker but without the ice. The first shake includes egg white and lemon juice. Once you shake that to a nice froth you add the remaining ingredients plus ice for a second shake. The egg white helps to make it extra frothy.

The finished product is just the right version of sweet, sour and bitter with a bit of froth.

Negroni Sour

 

Negroni Sour
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Recipe type: Drink
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 large egg white
  • ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice (~ ½ lemon) (see Notes)
  • 1-1/2 ounces gin
  • ¾ ounce Campari
  • 1 ounce amaro
  • ¼ ounce freshly orange juice (~ ¼ orange) (see Notes)
  • ¼ ounce simple syrup (see Notes)
  • Garnish: orange wheel
Instructions
  1. Separate egg white and place in a shaker. Add lemon juice.
  2. Shake for 20 to 30 seconds or until frothy. [This is known as a dry shake as there’s no ice.]
  3. Add gin, Campari, amaro, orange juice and simple syrup to shaker. Top with a cup full of ice. Shake for about 20 seconds.
  4. Strain into a martini or coupe glass.
  5. Garnish with an orange wheel.
Notes
* Before squeezing the lemon and orange, heat them in a microwave for about 20 seconds each and then rub them back and forth on the counter top. This easy two-step process results in more juice per piece of fruit.
SIMPLE SYRUP
1 cup (8 ounces) water
1 cup granulated sugar
Bring the water to a simmer in a saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and stir until it completely dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Pour the syrup into a clean 1-pint bottle, cap it and refrigerate it until needed. Makes 1½ cups and keeps two months or longer in the refrigerator.
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Source:  Variation of a recipe from the Imbibe Liquid Culture